The Things Nightmares are made of
by RyaStar2
Summary: Archer becomes suspicious of Ed and Al and starts an investigation against them. But not everything is as it seems. From the first show, please read and review
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: So this is from the first show. That's really all I'm going to say. And sure I'll throw in a disclaimer too...that was it.

Chapter One:

Over-confident.

It was a character flaw that Edward Elric had always been blessed with. He was always certain that no matter how bad things got, everything would be okay. He could always fix it, at least most of the time. Ever since he'd proven himself in the military, he had protection from up above and no one would ever question how strange he and his younger brother were. He was a hero after all so when he showed up, no one would ever suspect anything off after all the great things he had done. Right? And even if anyone ever did become suspicious, Colonel Mustang would snuff out any questions about the Elric brothers. It was his tail on the line too and if they went down, he would go down with them. At least that was how it seemed. The Colonel hadn't made any 'threats' lately of telling those above him of Ed's little secret. How the Fullmetal Alchemist attempted the worst taboo in the book and had the most convicting piece of evidence right under everyone's noses. It hadn't come up in years so why worry about it now? But that was why Alphonse hadn't joined the military. Edward didn't want anyone finding out about his 'condition' and taking him away. He didn't want them studying him and trying to figure out how he worked.

Somehow over the years though, this fear faded. No one seemed to even notice he didn't eat at meals or ever take off his armor. Sure it was odd but not worth really bringing up. Edward was sure that people had just accepted Al the way he was and although it was kind of strange, they seemed to over look it. But it had just made Ed let his guard down. Mustang's staff probably all knew and sure your average soldier didn't think twice about it but they also didn't question the military either. Ed and Al knew that there was something bigger going on although they still weren't really sure what that was. They knew Chimeras were being created by the military and as much as they were against it, they were sure but creating the philosopher stone had more then likely been attempted. They had both seen Laboratory 5 so how had they managed to go unnoticed for so long?

Unfortunately for them, someone had eventually noticed. At first, Frank Archer had a difficult time pinning down the state alchemist and his odd brother but finally he was able to track them down and demanded a meeting. He had heard so much after all, so why wouldn't he want to meet them. As he entered the office where the two of them stood, all their oddities came to his attention immediately. The hollow sound the armor made when Alphonse shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. The fact that the Fullmetal Alchemist wore gloves all the time even when it was the middle of summer. As though just the sight of his automail was something he was ashamed of. Other soldiers, the Lieutenant Colonel knew with automail displayed it proudly as though it was a badge of honor.

There were other things he noticed. Both the Elric brothers seemed overly nervous when they weren't even in trouble. It was almost as though they had been caught doing something they weren't suppose to be doing. Of course Fullmetal seemed to cover it up pretty well by being impatient. He hated this inconvenience and normally wouldn't tolerate it but for whatever reason, the way Archer eyed the two of them kept him from speaking out. But his annoyance was still obvious. Archer continued to look at the two of them as he made his way to his seat. Quietly, he gestured for the two of them to sit as well. The Lieutenant Colonel's demeanor was cold as usual. He didn't really even acknowledge them while he looked over the papers ha carried in. Finally he looked up again at them, that same hint of curiosity in his eyes as before. Like they were a mystery to figure out. Lacing his fingers together, he leaned forward on his elbows.

"So I must say it is interesting finally putting a face to the reputation. I wanted to meet with the two of you because it has become clear to me that there are a lot of unusual occurrences that should be looked into. I am particularly concerned about the large amount of traveling taking place." Edward's typical laziness came out as he slouched some in his chair and crossed his arms.

"Have you spoken to Colonel Mustang about this? He has all the orders for each of those trips."

"Yes, I've already gotten all the records from him. This last trip however was not approved and my understanding is that he was completely unaware of it. In fact, the military didn't even approve it." Ed grit his teeth and glanced over at Alphonse who was still obviously nervous. The red glow from his helmet met his older brother's stare as though they shared some deeper secret. "So boys, can you please explain yourself?" Ed jumped in as he always did in these kind of situations.

"It's not really that big a deal. We wanted to visit our teacher. I'd just gotten out of the hospital and my commanding officer was not there for me to request time off."

"So you just decided to take the time without permission?"

"I took leave because I was still recovering from my injuries and hadn't taken a vacation since I joined."

"But you didn't consider taking a body guard along? After all, Scar had been after you recently. What would you have done if he'd shown up?" Ed didn't like the direction this questioning was going. He wished the Lieutenant Colonel would get to the point of this interrogation. He decided it would be best to just play dumb.

"I guess we hadn't really thought about that. From what we knew, he was reunited with his people and wasn't coming after us anymore. Have there been any more attacks lately?" Archer caught the snide tone in the teen's voice but chose to disregard it. He knew it was just a distraction anyway.

"Not yet. You're fortunate that we got here before something happened. Anyway, until you get further orders from Colonel Mustang, I think it would be best for you to check in with me. Unless you're planning on heading back to Central in the near future?" Ed's temper was evident in his eyes but the more he cooperated, the sooner he and Al could be out of this meeting.

"I'll get a hold of the Colonel today and find out what he wants me to do." At least Edward was attempting to make an effort.

"Very well. I expect to hear from him once you've spoken. And while I have you here," the older man's gaze shifted to Alphonse immediately causing Ed to visibly bristle. "Is there any particular reason your brother accompanies you?"

"Hes' kind of my personal body guard." Edward tried to make it sound obvious.

"I see, but he's not military personel. Is there a reason he's wearing such heavy armor?"

"I just really like it." Now Alphonse was lying which didn't come naturally to him.

"Well how do we know you're not a criminal or something like that? Has anyone ever seen you without the armor?"

"Mustang has. Why is it such a big deal?" Ed's efforts to make it seem frivilous appeared to work as Archer backed down.

"It's not, just kind of strange. It's pretty hot down in the South so I would think it would be unbearable."

"No, I'm fine," Al chirped back in a content tone. Something about Archer's suspicious gaze said he wasn't convinced.

"If theres' nothing else you need, we've got stuff to do." The older of the two brothers rose to his feet, stretching his arms over his head. Trying to act bored was easy since he really was bored.

"I suppose thats' all." Quietly, he let the two of them leave. As he watched them move quickly towards the exit, the sound of Al's hollow steps just confirmed his suspicions. "They are definitely hidding something and I'm going to find out what."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter two:

Anxious

Edward wasn't sure what had brought on the questioning about Alphonse. Of course he wasn't really sure why Archer was suddenly so interested in the two of them either. He considered talking to Mustang about the whole thing but what if he agreed that it was okay? It wasn't like Ed was his most reliable subordinate and had caused his fair share of trouble. But no one would really want to see Al taken away like that. At least he hoped no one would.

If he had realized things were going to turn out so badly, he probably would have talked to the Colonel. Maybe it would have resolved everything and he wouldn't be running right now. He knew it would only make him look guilty but that didn't matter. Until he could come up with a way to get out of this, his best conclusion was to run.

They weren't sure how many soldiers were chasing them now but Ed knew they could only run around the city for so long. Glancing around, he wasn't even sure where they were. Taking a second to catch his breath, he turned back to see if anyone was behind them.

"I don't think we were followed," he admitted to Alphonse.

"But even if they don't catch us, what are we going to do? We can't run forever or fight off the whole military."

"I know, I know. Just let me think." As much as he didn't want to admit it, they were in serious trouble. He had no idea how far Archer would drag this out. Sure, they had friends in the military but no one high enough to help. He was trying not to panic but could feel the anxiety building in his throat. There was a holler behind them and Ed knew he wasn't going to have time to think of a solution as the two of them hurried around another corner, out of sight.

After several more blocks and getting some more distance between them and the soldiers, Ed clapped his hands together and sealed off the entrance of an alleyway. It was a temporary fix but effective. Moving towards the end of the alley, Edward decided to take this chase upwards as he clapped again and created a stairway to the rooftop. At least it would be difficult to follow this way. Even though they had managed to get away again, Al was still nervous. There was not way out of this ultimately. Even if they got away from Archer, eventually he would turn up again and make accusations that could easily be proven.

And it wasn't like the Lieutenant Colonel was really concerned about their well being. Who lets one of their own soldiers shoot at a civilian in order to prove some suspicion. Sure, even if Al had a body, he would have been okay and the shot would have just knocked off his helmet like it did, but that wasn't the point. He could have been seriously injured. That was what had started this whole thing and there was no denying it now. Archer knew the armor was empty. He knew their secret and it wouldn't take much for him to find out the rest of the story.

There were soldiers below, hollering to each other as they continued their search. Alphonse glanced over at Ed. He was obviously out of breath and the heat was not helping as they ran all over town. They had to get out of the city, that much was certain but Al was sure that they would be watching the railroads. He supposed that Ed could always disguise himself if he had to but how do you hide a seven foot tall suit of armor?

"Al, we'd better keep moving." Alphonse was pulled from his thoughts and hurried to catch up with Ed as he headed for the next roof top. Without meaning to, they somehow ended up back at Southern Command. Quietly, they watched from one of the buildings across the street. There didn't seem to be much going on in this part of town which gave Ed a moment to calm down and maybe think a little more clearer. "I think we need to split up," he concluded after a couple of minutes of silence between them.

"But if we split up, how will I know if you get caught. And it's not like I can just blend in."

"They're looking for two of us though...maybe if we aren't together, it would make things harder on them." He didn't even believe the suggestion himself. He was beginning to feel that they were backing themselves up into a corner with the military closing in.

As they continued to discuss some form of a plan, one of the soldiers across the street couldn't help but notice the glare of the sun on Al's armored head. Without the Elric brothers noticing, he hurried inside and got the Lieutenant Colonel.

"See Sir, aren't those the two you were looking for?" Taking a sniper riffle from the officer, he looked through the lens to confirm it was them.

"Not the smartest hiding place," he mused under his breath.

"Would like us to go up there and get them, Sir?"

"No, I believe this will need a more delicate approach then that." He carefully aimed at the two unsuspecting targets. Before either one of them could react, a gunshot rang out, practically knocking Ed off his perch as the bullet made contact with his right shoulder. His automail locked up but he still attempted to clap in response to the shot. Another shot rang out and both of them ducked for cover. The sudden movement however on Ed's part caused him to slip on the slick roof tiles and he started to fall before Alphonse could grab him. Without a lot of time, he tried to press his palm again the wall on the way down, the rough surface tearing through his glove and scrapping his hand up. Alchemy still came to life though, forcing the wall to come out into a giant hand in an attempt to slow his landing. He hit it hard and broke right through before finally making contact with the ground.

"Brother!" Al glanced over the side of the building. Ed was laying on his stomach, coughing from the impact. His ribs ached and the wind had been knocked out of his lungs. He made a desperate attempt to wave Alphonse off, trying to tell him to run so they didn't catch him too. There were no more shots fired which made him hope that Al had taken the hint and left. He could feel Archer's presence but didn't bother looking up. There was a definite chill in the air though as the older man seemed to hover over him as though he enjoyed seeing him in such pain. Without warning the back of his tank top was pulled upward and he could hear the fabric tearing.

"Well first things first. We certainly can't have you doing any alchemy," he heard Archer mention as he felt one of the soldier's boot's weight on his metal arm. The Lieutenant Colonel ran his hand over the cool metal near the port. He slipped his fingers in between Ed's arm and shoulder and pulled out several wires. Even if Edward could fight back, the world was spinning too fast for him to react. Archer's knife cut through the wires with ease and the state alchemist was yanked to his feet. With the sudden rush of blood to his head, the quickly spinning world went black.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three:

Pain

"It shouldn't be too much longer before we find the other brother," Archer explained to one of his men. He didn't bother looking up as he addressed his subordinate as he read over some of his paperwork. There was no emotion in his voice indicating that he was pleased with their success so far.

"Are you going to question Fullmetal in the mean time?"

"I have a hard time believing he's going to tell us anything. We might get something out of him once we have the younger one in custody. But even then, I doubt we'll get any cooperation from either of them."

"Well until we do manage to catch the other one, what are you planning to do to Fullmetal? Are we just going to lock him up for now?" The faintest hint of a smile pulled at the corner of Archer's mouth as he contemplated his plans.

"No one said we had to make him too comfortable."

...

Ed could have sworn he heard someone calling to him. He wasn't sure but he thought it was Alphonse. He sounded worried although that was pretty normal for Al. There was a pain in his arm port which caused him to let out a quiet moan. As the pain became more intense the more it seemed Al's voice got further and further away. Eventually it got to the point that he couldn't take it anymore and opened his eyes to see what was causing the throbbing ache in his shoulder.

What he woke up to was not what he was expecting. He tried to move only to find he was bond at the wrist and both ankles, flat on his back. Three individuals were standing over him, dismantling his automail in the slowest, most painful way possible. At least that was how it seemed to him. It should never take this long to disconnect it, but for whatever reason, they seemed more interested in taking it apart piece by piece. They had special instruments they were using that made high pitched noises and seemed to be motorized. Tools he had never seen Winry use and he could only guess it was because they were extremely expensive but very efficient for the task. But they only seemed to cause the process to be excruciating for him as he bit back a whine that wanted to come out. One of the three must have scraped a nerve or something as a sharp twinge worked it's way up his neck. He couldn't hold back his complaints and just when he opened his mouth to voice his discomfort, something was shoved between his jaws in order to keep him quiet.

He immediately tried to bite through whatever it was, but it was too solid of an item to just chomp through. Before he could respond any further, there was another sharp pain, followed by several more. He slammed his eyes shut and let out a muffled scream that didn't really get very far. This whole experience felt worse then automail surgery which had been the worst thing he'd ever experienced. At least back then, he knew the pain would eventually stop and it was for his benefit. Currently he had no idea what they were doing to him or how long it would last. He thought he heard a door nearby squeak open and the attack on his nerves ceased. He sucked in a deep breath in relief, not really caring who came in.

"Oh you don't have to stop on my behalf. I was just enjoying the sounds from out in the hallway." Edward did not recognize this voice and dared to open his eyes to see who it was. He was not expecting for the person to be hovering so close to his face though as he turned away as best he could. "Well that's just rude." Even though he didn't recognize the voice, Ed certainly remembered Kimbley from Dante's house when they were attacked by Greed. His mind couldn't help but race, wondering why he was here now though, of course the uniform was a dead give away that he was working with the military. "Obviously he doesn't want to talk to me, which is fine. You can go back to what you were doing."

Almost instantly the discomfort returned and became a sharp agonizing pain before he could even brace himself. A pathetic sound managed to escape him as he closed his eyes and hoped this wouldn't last too long. He had to endure this. He had to be strong for Al. Even if it meant he was seen as a traitor or whatever it was they did to him, he wasn't going to let them have Al. He didn't remember when it was that he passed out from the pain but at some point he started to come around again, his vision blurry and his port still sore. It was difficult to make anything out around him and the only thing he was sure of was that he was sitting up now. That brought a small amount of relief, knowing that he was no longer being restrained to a table. But that same relief was quickly gone when he realized his arm was missing.

"So you're awake now." Archer's tone had no concern in it which didn't really surprise Ed. He replied with a weak groan as he didn't bother to bring his head up. "I would recommend you just tell me what I want to know. Otherwise it'll just make things worse for you and your brother." Ed snickered quietly to himself.

"What are you going to do? Torture me? Somehow I think the military wouldn't do that to a state alchemist."

"Anything you think we can't do to you, we can always do to your brother. Especially if we don't deem him human." Edward swallowed the lump in his throat.

"What makes you think either one of us know anything. What if this whole thing is just some fluke that happened. There's no way to prove we did anything on purpose." Archer took several steps towards Ed, now hovering over him.

"I don't care if it was an accident or not. Something in that head of yours knew how to transmute a soul into an inanimate object, and I am going to find out how you did it. And I'll use whatever means necessary to get that information out of your head." A chill ran across Ed's skin as he pushed further back into his seat. He was trying not to show how worried he was, but it was difficult. He had no doubt that the Lieutenant Colonel meant what he said.


End file.
